Apparatus for clarifying and decolorizing petroleum oil



J. C. BLACK Nov. l2, 1929.

APPARATUS FOR CLARIFYING AND DECOLORIZING-PETROLEUM OIL Original Filed April 5. 1920 ww m QMQOOU Patented Nov. 12, 1929 i JOHN' C. BLACK, OF LOS ANGELES,

PATENT o1-F1osA A CALIFORNIA, As'srGNoR, :BY MEsNE. ASSIGNMENTS,

TO CONTACT FILTRATION COMPANY, OF SAN" FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORA- Tron or DELAWARE APPARATUS FOR CLARIFYING .AND DECOLORIZING PETROLEUM OIL Uriginal application led April y', 1920, Serial No. 371,399. Divided and this application. filed August 2,'

i 1927. Serial No.. 210,155.

This invent-ion relates to a new anduseful apparatus for clarifying and decolorizing petroleum oil, and is a division of the pending application ofJohn C. Black, process of 5 refining oil, tiled April 5, 1920, Serial Number 371,399.

At the present time there is a process extensivelyy used for treating petroleumA oils consisting in causing the oils to percolate through clay or fullers earth. -Fullers earth has also been employed in the process of clarifying and decolorizing animal and vegetable oil by contact methods at temperatures of i approximately 212 degrees F., buthave not been employed by the contact method at much higher temperatures thanv 212.

My invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of hydrocarbon oils with -a clarifying and decolorizing agent by the process described in my co-pending application Serial No. 371,399, of which this is a divisional part. y

The methods now in common usefor clarifying and improving the color of petroleum I oils employ a filter bed of clay or ullens earth, through which the oil is allowed to 'percolate My method comprises mixing with the oil finely divided clay, and then 'filtering the clay from the oil. By employing my method a great deal of oil and a given amount of clay is obtained and better results are secured with respect to the color and quality. l

This invention will be best understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, illustrating diagrammatically means for carrying out the` steps of theprocess in accordance with the apparatus of this invention. The drawing shows in a general way means which may be' employed by this apparatus, but the invention is in no way limited to the means shown.

The ligure shows an apparatus for treatment of the oil with the clay by means of which a highly refined oil is obtained.

To make a treatment of an oil with the iinished clay, the dry clay is added tothe oil and agitated by any suitable means, the' time of agitation depending to a very great extent upon the temperature and viscosity of the oil.

' 5.0 Apparently the higherthe temperature, the

.more rapid thev action up to certain limits.

However, when too high va temperature` is employed, vaporization-of the oil may take place and also severe oxidation. This oxidationmay be sufficient to destroy the improved color obtained at a lower temperature.` The temperature employed will also vary with the grade of oil under treatment. As a rule, the heavier the oil the less the temperature. at which it should be treated, the color degrading with increasingtemperature. The heating of the oil under clay treatment apparently improves thequality of the oil by removing those bodies easily oxidized, and an oil so treated will maintain its color better than one treated cold or at alow temperature.

In the drawing, 35 represents generally a conveyor which transfers clay from the storage bin 34 to a hopper scale 36. From the hopper scale the clay is @discharged into an oil treating tank 37. A pipe line 38 is connected to a pump 39. The other'side of the pump is connected by a pipe 40 to a cross 41. @ne branch of the cross is con` nected by a pipe 42 to a cooler 43. `A valve' l44 controls the ow. of liquid through pipe the cooler is connected by a tee 54 to the' pipe line 52. Suitable steam intake and discharge pipes indicated respectively by 55 and 56 are provided for the heater. Another branch of the` cross '41 is connected by a pipe line 57 to a storage tank for filtering oil indicated by 58. A valve 59 controls the flow of liquid through pipe 57 The oil and clay are treated in the following manner: valves 44, 46, and 59 are closed, thereby cutting out the cooler and c' line to the storage tank. Valves 51 and 53l are opened, thereby placing 'the heater in circuit with the oil treating tank and the E90 pump. The oil to be treated is introduced into the tank 37 through a pipe 6G. rllhe oil is then circulated until the desired temperature is reached, say 200 Fahrenheit. rllhe out the heater.

` opened, and the mixture ort oil and clay circulated through the cooler. After the treated oil has been cooled suciently, the cooler 43 is cut out by closing `valves 4l and 46, and valve 59 opened. The oil is now pumped vfrom the oil treating tank to the unlteredy oil storage tank 58. A drain line 6l leads from the cooler 43 to the suction ot the pump 39, and another drain line 62 leads from the heater to the suction oita the Dump.

The oil is next passed through a suitable filtering press or machine to separate the clay and the oil. The oil is then delivered from the machine to a cooler. rlhe oil must 'be cool before it is stored, and during cooling should not be exposed to the atmosphere.

A pipe line 63 is connected to the intake of a pump Glwhich delivers the mixture ot oil and clay from the storage tank 58 and clay through discharge line 65 to a filter press 66. The oil passes ronthe filter press by a pipe 'line''l' to a cooler 68. rllhe spent clay is delivered by a conveyor 69 to a chute 70. This completes the treatment of the oil. From the cooler the oil is delivered by a pipe line 7l to a iinished oil storage tank.

What l claim is:

l. An. apparatus for clarifying and improving the color of hydrocarbon oils. comprising an oil treating tank, means for introducing oil and a clarifying and decolorizing agent into the tank. means for commingling and heating the oil and agent, said'means comprising a pump, a heater, and pipes connecting the tank, pump and heater whereby the oil and agent is circulated through the heater andfback to the tankfmean's for cooling the oil and agent, said means comprising the aforesaid pump, a separate cooler, and pipes connecting the tank., pump and cooler whereby the oil is circulated under pump pressure through the cooler and back to the tankand means t'or separating the agent from the oil.

2. An apparatus `for clarifying and improring the color ot hydrocarbon oils, comprising an oil treating tank, means for introducing regulated .quantities ot oil and a clarifying and decolorizing agent into the tank, means for commingling and heating the oil and agent, said means comprising a pump, a heater, and pipes connecting the tank, pump and heater whereby the oil and agent is circulated through the heater and back tothe tank, means for cooling the oil and agents aid means lcomprising the aforesaid pump, a separate cooler, and pipes connect-ing the tank, pump and cooler whereby the oil is circulated under pump pressure through the cooler and back to the tank, means for sepa.- rating the agent from the oil and means for cooling the separated oil 5 3., l" n apparatus `for clarifying andimproving the color of hydrocarbon oils, comprising an oil treatingtank', means for introducing regulated quantities of oil and a clarifying and decolorizing agent into the tank, means for commingling and heating the oil and agent, said means comprising a pum a heater, and pipes connecting the .tan ,A

pump and heater whereby the oil and agent is circulated through the heater and back to the tank, means for cooling the ,Oil and agent, said means comprising the aforesaid pump, a separate cooler, and pipes connecting the tank, pump and cooler whereby the oil is circulated under pump pressure through the cooler and back to the tank, filter press Vmeans for separating the agent from the oil and means for cooling the 'separated oil.

Il. An apparatus for clarifying and improving the color of hydrocarbon oils comprising atreating tank; means Ifor introducing oil and a clarifying agent into said tank; a heater, a separatecooler; means torcirculating oil and agentfrom said treating utank through said heater and said cooler and back into said treating tank, selectively; and

means for discharging treated oil from the system. I

5. An apparatus for clarfying and improving the color of hydrocarbon oils comprising a. treating tank.; means for introducing regulated quantities o oil and clarifying and decolorizing agent into said tank; a heater; a separate cooler; means for circulating oil and agent from said treating tank through said heater and said cooler selectively, and back into said tgeating tank;- means for separating the agent from the oil and means for selectively discharging oil and agent from said treating tankvinto said separating means.

ln testimonhiv whereof atiix mv signature. i

Jona* unpack. 

